Directions
Simmer the potatoes, leeks, stock and salt together until potatoes
are tender. Add the watercress five minutes before vegetables are
done. Puree the soup in batches in an electric blender. Stir in the
cream. Season to taste, oversalting very slightly as salt loses
savor in a cold dish. Chill. Serve in chilled soup cups and
decorate with minced chives.

I know, I know, it’s going to be around 1,000 degrees in Denver this weekend. So why am I advocating a bowl of soup?

Because this soup is light, soothing, peppery and cool, and besides it’s a recipe from Richard Grausman.

If anyone can lay claim to being the eminence grise of French cooking in America, it’s Monsieur Grausman, who, after earning the Grand Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1967 (where he was a favorite of proprietress Madame Brassart) founded the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), an expansive and long-lasting nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved high school students prepare for careers in the hospitality business.